Howl's Moving Heart
three.
"All right, little red light," Howl said quietly. "It's time for you to take me to her." He spoke to the ring as if it could understand him, and he chuckled to himself as he considered what Calcifer might have said to tease him about such a thing.
But surely this ring could take him to the girl he'd seen years ago. She knew how to help him. She'd said it herself. And cowardly Howl, the man that was used to running from any human contact, had waited long enough to know if this young woman had been telling the truth. His other hand found its place in his pocket, and he glanced down to see the red beam that was pointing him to the young woman that he could still picture very clearly in his mind.
"All right, that's enough," he said to it, and he slipped that hand into his pocket, too. The beam flickered and spluttered as if it were liquid, and then it was gone. He knew where she was now, and the laser-like light was no longer needed. After three past attempts to find her and at the very least narrow down his search, he knew now that the young woman that had called out for him to find her was somewhere nearby.
The only drawback to his plan was that many people knew of him now. He was a famous wizard and even more infamous lady killer, and his moving castle had gained him far too much attention. The gazes of others on the street were drawn to him now, and he knew that he left most of them disgruntled by walking past them with a smile and short nod.
"We must not be very beautiful, then," he heard women say to their friends. "He must be looking for someone quite magnificent." He chuckled softly to himself as he heard them, finding some truth in their words, and he merely turned into a nearby alleyway in an attempt at avoiding more of these confrontations. The little red beam on his finger began to flicker back to life, and as he willed the beam to disappear, he scanned the streets for faces that looked like hers. When no such faces appeared to him, he began to listen for familiar voices, forcing his strength into straining past the white noise of people moving about.
He spotted a young woman that resembled her just past the curve of the alley, and it was just as he was beginning to walk toward her that he heard the sounds of bubbling and whispering behind him. He frowned, turning his head over his shoulder, and saw the blob-men sputtering about behind him.
Used to being followed like this in town and thus undeterred, he returned his focus to the woman that Calcifer and his own cowardice had prevented him from finding for years. Two officers belonging to the wretched King's army were speaking to her, attempting to seduce her into going off with them, and the poor woman seemed to not be able to make it clear that she only wanted to return home.
Straightening and walking with a more confident air, he continued on until he had come to a stop beside the young woman, his arm sliding smoothly around her shoulders. He could feel her start at his touch, and he smiled softly down at her when she turned her head to stare up at him.
The ring that he still kept hidden trembled on his finger, and he could sense the magic within it fighting to escape. "There you are, sweetheart," he said softly. "Sorry I'm late. I was looking everywhere for you." He smiled just a bit wider for her as she began to register what was going on, and he lifted his gaze to raise an eyebrow at the men that had been bothering her.
"Hey. Hey! We're busy here!"
"Are you really? To me, it looked like the two of you were just leaving." His eyebrow raised further, and he lifted his hand, using his magic to force the men to march away. He heard the young woman beside him gasp, and he smiled as he let his hand return to her shoulder, pulling her close.
She walked tentatively beside him as he added that he would be her escort, and with such close contact, it took nearly all of his will to keep the ring in his pocket at bay. He smiled to himself as he hurried her forward, away from the blob-men, and tightened his arm around her - this was her.
But surely this ring could take him to the girl he'd seen years ago. She knew how to help him. She'd said it herself. And cowardly Howl, the man that was used to running from any human contact, had waited long enough to know if this young woman had been telling the truth. His other hand found its place in his pocket, and he glanced down to see the red beam that was pointing him to the young woman that he could still picture very clearly in his mind.
"All right, that's enough," he said to it, and he slipped that hand into his pocket, too. The beam flickered and spluttered as if it were liquid, and then it was gone. He knew where she was now, and the laser-like light was no longer needed. After three past attempts to find her and at the very least narrow down his search, he knew now that the young woman that had called out for him to find her was somewhere nearby.
The only drawback to his plan was that many people knew of him now. He was a famous wizard and even more infamous lady killer, and his moving castle had gained him far too much attention. The gazes of others on the street were drawn to him now, and he knew that he left most of them disgruntled by walking past them with a smile and short nod.
"We must not be very beautiful, then," he heard women say to their friends. "He must be looking for someone quite magnificent." He chuckled softly to himself as he heard them, finding some truth in their words, and he merely turned into a nearby alleyway in an attempt at avoiding more of these confrontations. The little red beam on his finger began to flicker back to life, and as he willed the beam to disappear, he scanned the streets for faces that looked like hers. When no such faces appeared to him, he began to listen for familiar voices, forcing his strength into straining past the white noise of people moving about.
He spotted a young woman that resembled her just past the curve of the alley, and it was just as he was beginning to walk toward her that he heard the sounds of bubbling and whispering behind him. He frowned, turning his head over his shoulder, and saw the blob-men sputtering about behind him.
Used to being followed like this in town and thus undeterred, he returned his focus to the woman that Calcifer and his own cowardice had prevented him from finding for years. Two officers belonging to the wretched King's army were speaking to her, attempting to seduce her into going off with them, and the poor woman seemed to not be able to make it clear that she only wanted to return home.
Straightening and walking with a more confident air, he continued on until he had come to a stop beside the young woman, his arm sliding smoothly around her shoulders. He could feel her start at his touch, and he smiled softly down at her when she turned her head to stare up at him.
The ring that he still kept hidden trembled on his finger, and he could sense the magic within it fighting to escape. "There you are, sweetheart," he said softly. "Sorry I'm late. I was looking everywhere for you." He smiled just a bit wider for her as she began to register what was going on, and he lifted his gaze to raise an eyebrow at the men that had been bothering her.
"Hey. Hey! We're busy here!"
"Are you really? To me, it looked like the two of you were just leaving." His eyebrow raised further, and he lifted his hand, using his magic to force the men to march away. He heard the young woman beside him gasp, and he smiled as he let his hand return to her shoulder, pulling her close.
She walked tentatively beside him as he added that he would be her escort, and with such close contact, it took nearly all of his will to keep the ring in his pocket at bay. He smiled to himself as he hurried her forward, away from the blob-men, and tightened his arm around her - this was her.
♠ ♠ ♠
I'm aware that I've used quotes from the film, and to avoid being reported for plagarism, I just want to point out that I put those quotes in for the effect they have in the story, not to plagarise Hayao Mayazaki's work.